PARSNIP + 0800 RODEO + TWO WHITE CRANES – KOMEDIA BAR, BRIGHTON 5.10.24
The Australian Indie Rock quartet Parsnip, hail from Melbourne and consists of Paris Richens (bass), Stella Rennex (guitar), Rebecca Liston (keyboards) and Carolyn Hawkins (drums) and they have this evening found their way to the Komedia Studio in the heart of North Laine.
They opened up their recorded matter back in 2017 when they released 4 songs on their self-titled EP. A year later their ‘Felling Small’ single came out and in 2019 the first long-player, ‘When The Tree Bears Fruit’ was unleashed. Their ‘Adding Up’ EP dropped just as Covid was sweeping around the globe. Cue hiatus! They made a welcome return this April with the launch of their second album ‘Behold’ which contained 13 new compositions which were recorded across three sessions over the last three years. Patience, environmental cues and internal signals are integral for a garden to flourish. The same can be said of the conditions necessary for ‘Behold’ to emerge. It is an album gleeful in reassessment, changed priorities and anticipation. The roots are deeply anchored to mystery, drinking up a hidden wonderment that lies within. Check it out HERE.
This evening we are treated to no less than eleven of the thirteen new tracks, as well as a handful of previously recorded songs across their 50 minute set, which ran from 9:05pm to 9:55pm. The quartet take to the compact stage and are greeted by applause from the faithful. They kick off with the title track from their 2020 ‘Adding Up’ EP which sounds not a million miles away from The Beths from Auckland, New Zealand. To the rear of the stage is Carolyn Hawkins who is sat behind the drumkit and there’s a microphone available for lead and backing vocal duties. Out front and stage right (our left) is Rebecca Liston who has her Novation keyboard wired up to a laptop by her right side, she too has a microphone. Centre front stage is lead vocalist and bassist Paris Richens who has selected Greco as her brand of choice. Finally on stage left (our right) is Stella Rennex on Epiphone guitar, which has a Bigsby available on it, but I don’t believe the tremolo was ever used. Stella too has a microphone. One song down and there seems to be a debate over everyone’s sound levels, as each member requests more!
They are giving off an air of quirkiness with their comments and mannerisms, especially Stella. Maybe it’s their way or they are buzzing to be playing for us. There was a time when many many bands sounded like this, but sadly they are far and few between these days and that’s primarily why we are here. Next up is the first from their ‘Behold’ album, this being the instrumental ‘Pockets’ which is followed by the swinging ‘Health’ with its occasionally shouty vocals, this tune is found on their 2017 ‘Parsnip’ EP. Selection four is the first of five in a row from the new album, this being ‘The Babble’, which interestingly the initial guitar parts sound like Slade’s ‘Coz I Luv You’ hit single, but then it morphs into something completely different. Paris had been on lead vocals up until this point, but now it was the turn of Stella, but sadly they were well down in the mix…cue, “more vocals please”!.
‘Duality’ was the next choice and this has a swinging 60’s vibe, as the song changed from beat to beat. Whereas the harmonies on ‘Unearthing’ reminded me of Half Man Half Biscuit’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit’. It was Carolyn’s turn on lead vocals for ‘Placeholder’, and after which we had ‘Monument’ which featured some decent guitar jarring to start with, prior to Rebecca’s keys adding to the mix, and the keys notes reminded me of Booker T. & the M.G.’s ‘Time Is Tight’. The sole composition from 2019’s ‘When The Tree Bears Fruit’ album was up next, this selection being ‘Rip It Off’ with its surf guitar intro and late 1960’s psych sound and vocals, The Lemon Pipers ‘Green Tambourine’ sprang to mind. I noted that during the song Carolyn was continually hitting a shaker onto the drum with her right hand, which although an unusual move, it was an effective one!
Their 2018 ‘Feeling Small’ single was the next tune and the “I like to…” intro vocals of this reminded me of Brighton’s very own The Chefs. There was some funky guitar playing going down during this track as well. ‘Turn To Love’ came next and the joint keys and guitar playing that was in sync reminded me of The Velvet Underground as this tune then hit 1960s surf psych big time, especially as Rebecca added to the sound with a shaker. Their twelfth track proved a turning point for the whole set as from this number, ‘Papier-Mâché’, the band’s performance suddenly went up several notches and all of these last five songs were better than anything that had gone before! There were a few clicks of the drumsticks and they were away as lead vocal duties for ‘Papier-Mâché’ were in the hands of Rebecca for this all too brief but faster bopping tune tinged with a ska beat.
‘Winter’ from their 2018 ‘Feeling Small’ single was another speedy tune which was as good as ‘Papier-Mâché’ if not even better. It had a real abrupt ending as well. ‘Kutastha’ with its whoaw whoaw guitar sound care of Stella’s foot-pedal, accompanied by more The Chefs style vocals, and skippy drum-beats, plus the Novation synth was sounding like a Farfisa organ, was another fab tune. This segued straight into their penultimate tune, ‘The Light’ which also bopped along nicely. They signed off with ‘Clear Blue Sky’, which again had that 60’s psych sound and some serious drum action and my colleague referenced the similarity to The Woodentops. This was another great tune and that was our lot. Overall and enjoyable set, especially the last handful of superior songs.
Parsnip:
Carolyn Hawkins – drums
Paris Richens – bass
Rebecca Liston – keyboard
Stella Rennex – guitar
Parsnip setlist:
‘Adding Up’ (from 2020 ‘Adding Up’ EP)
‘Pockets’ (from 2024 ‘Behold’ album)
‘Health’ (from 2017 ‘Parsnip’ EP)
‘The Babble’ (from 2024 ‘Behold’ album)
‘Duality’ (from 2024 ‘Behold’ album)
‘Unearthing’ (from 2024 ‘Behold’ album)
‘Placeholder’ (from 2024 ‘Behold’ album)
‘Monument’ (from 2024 ‘Behold’ album)
‘Rip It Off’ (from 2019 ‘When The Tree Bears Fruit’ album)
‘Feeling Small’ (a 2018 single)
‘Turn To Love’ (from 2024 ‘Behold’ album)
‘Papier-Mâché (from 2024 ‘Behold’ album)
‘Winter’ (from 2018 ‘Feeling Small’ single)
‘Kutastha’ (from 2024 ‘Behold’ album)
‘The Light’ (from 2024 ‘Behold’ album)
‘Clear Blue Sky’ (from 2024 ‘Behold’ album)
Main support this evening came from the unusually titled 0800 Rodeo who I haven’t seen before. I couldn’t find anything on them prior to their performance, but thankfully on arrival at the venue I was discussing tonight’s lineup with the promoter, Love Thy Neighbour and I was informed that 0800 Rodeo’s Instagram page is a row of numbers that correspond to the letters on a phone. The 0800 is the same, but R is 7, O is six, and both D and E are 3, thus you encrypt it and get 0800 76336.
Once on the Instagram page there are literally just 2 posts and one of those is a video of Kirsty MacColl’s ‘They Don’t Know’ as sung by Saoirse Mendel of 0800 Rodeo and directed by Saoirse’s mum. So not really much to go on then! I’m guessing that this is a new project and joining Saoirse on stage this evening are Charlie Fairbairn on guitar and vocals, as well as Ryan Cleave on bass and vocals. Saoirse is also on vocals as well as Korg keys. Both the lads names seemed familiar as there’s a Charlie Fairbairn connected to Holiday Ghosts and a Ryan Cleave connected to Gamma, so these very well maybe the same chaps!
The trio take to the compact stage and the performance starts with a recorded phone dial as an intro. I see what they are doing here, and indeed throughout their 9 song set there are regular other recorded phone introductions, which brings smiles to the punters faces and lightens the mood. They kick off with ‘Hotshots And Chickenheads’ and immediately there’s a low-fi drum machine DIY post-punk retro sound bombarding my ears, Jim Bob and Fruitbat aka Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine springs to mind and the fact that if 0800 Rodeo had been formed 45 years ago, that John Peel would have been a fan!
Electronic handclaps kick off ‘Pig Moves’ and the retro keys shine through as well as the guitar and bass riffs. Saoirse and Charlie share vocal duties on ‘Crazy Colours’ which has a surfin’ style vocal delivery with decent bass backing. Selection four is ‘Hot 4 Cornwall’ which is their fastest tune thus far and I’m loving the DIY post punk vibes here as well as the speedy synth drum beat sounds. Tune five is ‘Sake’, which runs at half the pace of the predecessor and the keyboard riffs sounded strangely familiar. There’s distortion on Charlie’s mic and The Birthday Party’s ‘Release The Bats’ springs to mind. This band’s sound is full of amateurish charm, with nothing complicated going on, just compact fun tunes and their intro sections.
‘Cronies Elevation’ comes next and reminds me of an obscure local classic called ‘The Russians Are Coming’ by The Red Squares – who were Russell Pointing, Simon Spain and John Kemp – which was first released on the Attrix Records ‘Vaultage ‘80’ album. From this point onwards 0800 Rodeo reminds me of The Red Squares and I shall be keeping my eyes open for more local gigs from this new outfit. Selection seven kicks off with another pre-recording that ends “Sarah’s In The Lobby”, the tune is shown as ‘Sarah’ on the band’s setlist, so this could be called either of these titles? What I do know is that it’s the best track of their set for me! Imagine surf rockers The Barracudas meets the Ramones meets Daniel Miller’s Silicon Teens alter ego and there you have it! Splendid stuff!
The previously mentioned ‘They Don’t Know’ comes next with Saoirse on lead vocals. This goes down the best with the punters, probably on the account that they’ve heard it before, but although it’s a brave rendition, I personally prefer their own material. They sign off with ‘Yip I Oh’ which has the same guitar riffs as Arnold Corns/David Bowie’s ‘Hang On To Yourself’ and at 8:37pm they were done. Yep, another decent Brighton based band that I want to see performing live again.
0800 Rodeo:
Saoirse Mendel – keys, vocals
Charlie Fairbairn – guitar, vocals
Ryan Cleave – bass, vocals
0800 Rodeo setlist:
‘Hotshots And Chickenheads’
‘Pig Moves’
‘Crazy Colours’
‘Hot 4 Cornwall’
‘Sake’
‘Cronies Elevation’
‘Sarah’
‘They Don’t Know’ (Kirsty MacColl cover)
‘Yip I Oh’
The music commenced with Two White Cranes which is actually the indie pop folk guitar solo project of Hove based (via Bristol and Oxford) musician Roxy Brennan, who started the idea back in 2012 when Roxy was working as a temp at a hospital in Oxford. I had presumed that the name was derived from the large elegant birds, but on investigation it turns out that it’s named after two large construction cranes she used to walk underneath to get to work every morning, which isn’t as glamorous.
Roxy initially released two albums, one split and one EP and toured all around the UK and some of Europe. Her album ‘Radisson Blue’ album dropped in 2015 and includes a track called ‘Brighton’, however by 2017 she felt burnt out and decided to bring the project to a halt. Roxy resurrected the project last year and her ‘It’s On Me’ single came out on 15th April and was followed by her ‘Self Build’ mini-album/extended EP which dropped on 1st December. The inspiration for getting back at it came from an unusual source, this being ‘Grand Designs’, the long-running British TV show on Channel 4 that is presented by Kevin McCloud and is currently on 159 episodes. Outside of music Roxy works inside a brutalist building and so architecture is a clear inspiration to her.
This evening we are rewarded with a 25 minute solo set from 7:31pm to 7:56pm, which sees Roxy on vocals and initially singing to her recorded music on her laptop for the first three numbers, before taking to the guitar for the rest of the set. The sound is perfectly clear and the lighting is good so everyone in the room can equally share the same experience. Every song is delivered with Roxy’s eyes permanently shut, probably for concentration purposes. We are informed about the ‘Grand Designs’ inspiration and the fact that she has CD’s on sale of her work, not that Roxy personally has a CD player she lets on!
The first trio of vocals and laptop pop tunes are culled from the new mini-album, these being ‘Forest’, ‘Bricks’ and ‘Haunting’, with the last being written on the perspective of whether the houses wanted to be built or not. Roxy now switches to guitar for the rest of the set and begins playing ‘Head Over Heels’ (from 2016 ‘Fauna’ split mini-album with Try The Pie) but then she realises that she has forgotten some of the words and aborts the track and goes onto a new tune called ‘Voices’ which is about ghosts. After which Roxy goes back to ‘Head Over Heels’ and successfully delivers it this time around.
We are then given another new song, which might be called ‘Layout’. ‘City Streets’ from ‘Self Build’ follows after which we might have had ‘Minto Road’ from 2015’s ‘Radisson Blue’ album, but it wasn’t introduced, but we did get ‘Dairies’ from the same album, which was the closing track and the guitar work reminded me of Kirsty McColl, who funnily enough was to crop up in the next band’s set.
Two White Cranes:
Roxy Brennan – vocals, guitar, laptop
Two White Cranes setlist:
‘Forest’ (from 2023 ‘Self Build’ mini-album)
‘Bricks’ (from 2023 ‘Self Build’ mini-album)
‘Haunting’ (from 2023 ‘Self Build’ mini-album)
‘Head Over Heels’ (from 2016 ‘Fauna’ split mini-album with Try The Pie) (aborted version)
‘Voices’ (unreleased)
‘Head Over Heels’ (from 2016 ‘Fauna’ split mini-album with Try The Pie)
‘City Streets’ (from 2023 ‘Self Build’ mini-album)
‘Diaries’ (from 2015 ‘Radisson Blue’ album)
